Systems and Control
Understanding Systems and Control
- Define the term control system, it refers to an arrangement of physical components designed to control an output by manipulating certain input conditions.
- Understand open-loop control systems: These are the simplest type of control system, with no feedback from the output to the input.
- Explain closed-loop control systems (or feedback systems): These possess the ability to check and adjust the output through feedback from the output to the input, promoting enhanced accuracy.
- Remember the transfer function which depicts the system’s output in relation to its input, used in mathematical model of a system’s behaviour.
- Appreciate on/off control system as it simply switches ‘on’ or ‘off’ when it exceeds a certain threshold.
- Identify how proportional control systems create an output that is proportional to the error between the desired and actual output, thus reducing error.
- Analyze components of integral and derivative control systems, integral control removes steady-state errors, while derivative control predicts future behaviour to mitigate rapid changes.
Mechanical Control Systems
- Understand the importance of mechanical linkages and how they can be used to change the direction, distance, and speed of an input motion.
- Explain various types of mechanical linkages such as linear, rotary, oscillating, and complex linkages.
- Identify gears and pulleys as core components of mechanical control systems, used to transfer force and motion.
- Evaluate cam and follower systems, defining the cam profile and how the follower’s motion can drastically affect an overall system.
- Study in detail about hydraulic systems which use fluids to transmit power and can provide high levels of force.
- Describe pneumatic systems which use compressed air to power machines and can be used where hydraulic systems are not practical.
Pneumatic Control Systems.
- Recap construction of basic pneumatic control circuits and how pneumatic components can be arranged to control a system.
- Analyze actuators in the pneumatic systems (cylinders, motors) and how they can drive movement or motion in a system.
- Appreciate pneumatic control valves used to manage the flow, pressure, and level of compressed air through a system.
- Understand sensors role in detecting and tracking changes in the pneumatic system, such as pressure and temperature variations.
- Describe basic types of pneumatic controllers, including pressure, volume, and temperature controllers.
- Identify applications and advantages of using pneumatic control systems.